Uniontown man to stand trial on attempted homicide, kidnap charges
A Uniontown man who allegedly shoved a gun in a woman鈥檚 face and held her hostage in his truck as he searched the city for her ex was ordered to stand trial on his charges Tuesday.
Christopher Allen Phillip West, 32, was held for the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas on two counts of attempted homicide and one count each of kidnap, aggravated assault, simple assault, unlawful restraint and indecent exposure.
West鈥檚 charges were previously dismissed after the woman refused to testify at a preliminary hearing in February. The charges were refiled in August.
She raised her right hand, shaking visibly, to be sworn in. During her testimony she placed the hand against her face and paused thoughtfully, then looked down at her shaking hand, testifying the morning of Dec. 20 began with West slapping her in their 5 Crowe Ave. house. That morning, she was seen holding the side of her face as she was escorted to an ambulance to be treated for severe bruising and swelling to her face, a lump on her head and bite mark on her ankle.
West interjected multiple times during the hearing, antagonizing the woman, scoffing and saying that she was lying. Police and Magisterial District Judge Michael Metros ordered him to calm down.
鈥淲e had just celebrated our-鈥�
鈥淔irst anniversary,鈥� West said.
鈥淔irst anniversary,鈥� the woman continued. 鈥淲e were newly engaged.鈥�
She said she was awake before West that morning and had just gotten a new phone, so she drove his truck to connect the phone to the internet and came back home. When West woke up, she said he found a message to her ex and noticed his truck was moved. She said she had not seen the ex for more than one year.
The two argued and he got a gun, demanding she get in his truck to find her ex, according to her testimony.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to bring him to the exact house because I didn鈥檛 want to bring trouble to anyone else,鈥� she said.
Instead she directed him to a house with a 鈥淔or Sale鈥� sign and knocked on the door, as he demanded. She said he 鈥渃aught on鈥� to her trick and became angry. She said she banged on a neighbor鈥檚 door asking for help, but a man at the residence did not help her. West allegedly dragged her by the arm to his truck and shoved the gun in her face, saying, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to take a bullet today,鈥� she testified, touching her face thoughtfully again.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no feeling to describe that,鈥� she said.
He drove her to another house, where he believed her ex鈥檚 family lived, and demanded she knock on the door. She refused. He went up to the porch and she called 911, relaying a quick message that she was being held hostage in a white Ford Expedition on Dunlap Street, she testified. She had told West she lost her phone in the earlier scuffle.
Back at the residence, she called 911 again and put the phone under the couch, hoping dispatchers could ping her location. West took off her pants and attempted to sexually assault her, she testified. Then, she saw Uniontown City Police Officer Jonathan Grabiak through the window.
鈥淚 could see (the woman) at the window, crying, screaming, screaming for help,鈥� he testified. 鈥淚 could see the fear on her face.鈥�
The 缅北禁地 does not identify those who allege they are victims of sex crimes.
West was placed on the ground and arrested at gunpoint, and she was taken to Uniontown Hospital for treatment.
Uniontown City Police Cpl. D.J. Dewitt testified West claimed she pulled the gun on him, and he took it from her. He stated he thought she went to see her ex when he saw the message and noticed his truck was moved. West said he 鈥渟lapped her around鈥� and 鈥渕aybe punched a wall,鈥� according to Dewitt. West admitted to taking her to find her ex but said 鈥渢he (expletive) tried to jump out of the car at 40 miles per hour鈥� and he didn鈥檛 want that to happen, Dewitt said.
鈥淗e stated he knew he was going back to prison,鈥� Dewitt testified.
West was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2004 and is not permitted to possess a firearm, police said. He is charged in a separate case with prohibited possession of a firearm.
He remains in Fayette County Prison in lieu of a $100,000 bond.